Archives for January 2016

Montech, Inc. has been named the Star Client for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) for the year 2015. Principal Monica Jojola and owners of other star client businesses in the New Mexico Small Business Development Center network will be honored at a reception at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. All Star Clients will be introduced on the floors of the State House and State Senate the following morning.

A New Mexico PTAP client since January 2013, Montech, Inc. serves as an example of how clients attain success. Montech’s primary PTAP counselor Diane Kimbrell Howell says, “Ms. Jojola is doing everything right; she began her business in the staffing industry that she had worked in for years and she started small by seeking sub-contracting opportunities to build her past performance. That track record ultimately demonstrated not only to the SBA 8(a) certifiers (that recently issued her certification in the business development program), but also to the USAF customers here locally that have now awarded her two separate contract vehicles for staffing services. Ms. Jojola not only understands the importance of demonstrated capability, she also has a commitment to marketing discipline, maximizing every opportunity for prospective customer interaction.”

The owner also credits her strategic partnerships and nearly two decades of federal contracting that have led Albuquerque-based Montech Inc. to success since its inception in 2011. The 100 percent American Indian-owned corporation provides federal and state agencies, tribal governments and commercial clients a high-quality workforce and support services for newly awarded projects.

Company Principal Monica Jojola of Isleta Pueblo initially began her business consulting after working at Datacom Sciences and Chickasaw Nation Industries (CNI) for more than 15 years. As director of Business Development at CNI, Ms. Jojola interfaced at the highest federal levels, including briefing commanding officers at the Pentagon and negotiating with senior executives.

“Mid-point in my career, I knew I could build a business earning government contracts,” said Ms. Jojola, who resigned from CNI on a Friday and went to start her own company the following Monday. “With the experience I had gained, I was not quite as fearful of building something on my own.”

As Ms. Jojola began this new venture, she was also acquiring partners and started organizing personnel and resources for the partners that were awarded multimillion competitive contracts. Now Montech is also prime contractor with full-time and part-time employees, including a Catholic priest and a Protestant Religious coordinator who worked at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB).

“The Procurement Technical Assistance [Program] played a key role in my providing religious services at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB). While assisting another client, PTAP learned of the base’s need to contract out some religious services requirements. That need would have caused an undue burden on existing personnel for the services by requiring them to start a new company, complete all the necessary registrations, provision back office services and learn how to be fully compliant with all the various statues and regulations, both Federal and state.

PTAP approached my firm and the KAFB customers with a potential solution that was a win for all parties involved: Montech took on the personnel under a staffing contract. Other businesses may not have wanted to take on such small contracts, but ultimately Kirtland awarded Montech multi-year contracts for both religious assemblies. The assistance from the PTAP Albuquerque and Bernalillo offices was invaluable.

The business relationships that you build while doing this work are incredible. These people become your long time partners,” according to Ms. Jojola, who received SBA 8(a) certification in July 2015.

In early 2016, Montech, Inc will be awarded another multi-year contract that PTAP assisted her with – this one for staffing services to provision health and fitness instructors to KAFB.

The first step in pursuing government contracts is registering in the System for Award management (SAM), the federal government’s vendor database. There is never a fee to register as a government contractor. For more information, read the Blog written by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.